June 6, 2026
On the couch with Jasminda
Jasminda's Advice

On the couch with Jasminda

Dear Jasminda, Kids on e-bikes are on the rise. How do we share the road safely with them? Hayley S. Dear Hayley, Having recently observed two young girls powering across a T-intersection on their e-bikes without looking left or right, and after conversations with friends who have similar stories, the safety issue you raise is […]

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On the couch with Jasminda
Jasminda's Advice

On the couch with Jasminda

Dear Jasminda, I was driving up a long and winding road in my ute on the weekend when I passed a cyclist. She seemed to be doing it very tough and wasn’t making much progress. Should I have offered her [and her bike] a lift to the next town? I’m now regretting that I didn’t […]

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On the couch with Jasminda
Jasminda's Advice

On the couch with Jasminda

DEAR Jasminda, Frequently when I go shopping someone pushes a trolley into my ankles. How do I avoid this painful scenario? Jim R. Dear Jim, In the wrong hands, a trolley can be a weapon of mass destruction, thrust into the legs of an unsuspecting shopper when they are simply trying to reach for a […]

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‘On the couch’ with Jasminda
Jasminda's Advice

‘On the couch’ with Jasminda

DEAR Jasminda, Real tree or fake? Kids are nagging me for a real one, but I have a tree on the mezzanine that I can just drag down and decorate. Katherine E. Dear Katherine, I don’t want to alarm you, but do you realise we are heading towards the pointy end of Christmas? With just […]

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‘On the couch’ with Jasminda
Jasminda's Advice

‘On the couch’ with Jasminda

DEAR Jasminda, FOR five years, I have been minding a friend’s dog (Minty) while they go on holidays. This is usually no problem; the dog and I get on very well. This time, though, I was left with instructions that Minty (who is 15) now eats breakfast at 4.30am and dinner at 3.00pm every day, […]

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‘On the couch’ with Jasminda
Jasminda's Advice

‘On the couch’ with Jasminda

DEAR Jasminda, I’m thinking of getting an ice bath for stress relief. Do you have any views on this? Gavin H. Oh, Gavin, Sometimes I read a conundrum and my first thought is, yes, I have views on this, but do you really want to know them? I have no qualifications in ice-bath therapy, so […]

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‘On the couch’ with Jasminda
Jasminda's Advice

‘On the couch’ with Jasminda

DEAR Jasminda, LAST night (when I was sound asleep) my husband woke me about the mosquitoes in the room. He then searched (unsuccessfully) for the flyspray before trying other tactics. By the time he’d killed them, I was wide awake and stayed that way. What do I do to avoid this in the future, Katie […]

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On the couch with Jasminda
Jasminda's Advice

On the couch with Jasminda

DEAR Jasminda, I’VE started going to a gym and there’s a man there that leaves various personal items on the equipment I want to use. His drink bottle is on one, his towel is on another and then he leaves his backpack on a third machine. What is the gym etiquette around this?  I only […]

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‘On the couch’ with Jasminda
Jasminda's Advice

‘On the couch’ with Jasminda

DEAR Jasminda, I was recently being led to my medical appointment by a young intern when I accidentally broke wind. It was loud and it was pretty clear that I was the culprit. I am in my mid-fifties. I was mortified. Should I have said something to him? Brook S. Dear Brook, First of all, […]

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On the couch with Jasminda
Jasminda's Advice

On the couch with Jasminda

DEAR Jasminda, OUR home was adorned with beautifully framed photographic memories of our travels and adventures. Over the past few visits from in-laws, these memories have all been replaced with watercolours. Is this something to embrace or something to mourn? Brett P. Dear Brett, What an unusual conundrum. Are you suggesting your in-laws are perhaps […]

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